Coin-operated toll collector and annunciator



(No Model.) v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. ROGERS. 00m OPERATED TOLL COLLECTOR AND ARNUNGIATOR. No. 542,109.Patented July 2, 1895.

( No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. A. ROGERS. 00m OPERATED TOLL UOLLEUTOR'AND ANNUNGIATOR. No. 542,109.Patented July 2, 1895.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A, ROGERS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

COIN-OPERATED TOLL COLLECTOR AND ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,109, dated July 2,1895.

Application filed March '7, 1895. Serial No. 540,856- (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha,in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Coin-Operated TollCollectors and Annunciators; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethesame.

This. invention relates to toll-collecting and coin-operatedannunciators, but more partic ularly to those which may be used inconnection with telephones and other devices.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means whereby theoperator at a cen tral office or a person located at a distance from themachine may be notified and made cognizant of the denomination or valueof a coin when deposited in said machine without the liability of beingdefrauded by the'depositing of a spurious coin or other token of animproper size, or for securing the use of the machine, for which thetoll is being paid, for a longer time or to a greater extent than willbe properly paid by the coin or other token deposited in thecollecting-machine.

Another object is to provide means operated by the coin to make andbreak connections during the passage of said coin into the ma chine,which will cause like breaking and making in an audible or visual signalto cause distinctive responses by which the denomination or value of thedeposited coin or token may be readily ascertained.

Further objects of the invention are to provide separate coin-chutes forcoins of different denominations and to provide a simple, efficient, anddurable device which may be used in various connections.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and combination of the several parts, substantially ashereinafter described, and more particularly defined in the claims atthe end of the description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine removed fromthe casing. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partly broken away, taken onthe line II II of Fig. 1, illustrating in dotted lines the positionsassumed by the sections of the chutes when forming an electricalconnection, together with one form of signal or annunciator and itselectrical connections with the machine; and Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of one of the sections or pans of the chute with its electricalcontact.

In the drawings, A may designate a frame of any suitable or preferredconstruction, which may be placed in any suitablecasing to prop erlyinclose the same and prevent tampering with the working parts. Thisframe is preferably of metal and may be provided with a separate chute Bfor each denomination or value of coin for which the machine isconstructed, each chute in this case being similar in construction andoperated in the same manner, differing mainly in the number and size ofthe sections or pans O which compose each chute, so that a greater orless number of makes and brakes in the circuit may be made to render itpossible for the operator or a person located at a distance to instantlyascertain the denomination or value of the coin deposited in itsrespective chute, as will be hereinafter explained.

Each chute may be provided with an inclining stationary upper section 0,having preferably an openingc of sufficient size to permit a counterfeitor coin of less diameter to drop through said opening without passingthrough the sections to form an electrical connection. lower end opposedto an open end of one-of the tilting or pivoted sections or pans, whichare supported on suitable uprights c, provided with set-screws 0 whichhave their ends engaging the sides of said sections and.

serve as pivots therefor, though it is obvious that any other suitablepivot may be employed instead of said set-screws. These sections mayalternate as to their angles and be arranged at a suitable distancebeneath each other to form a substantially zigzag chute for the passageof the coin, and each section is provided with a Weight orcounterbalance 0 which may be adjustable by a set-screw c, or otherwise,which weight serves as a stop for the coin and to return the chute toits normal position after the passage of the coin, which,

in this case, is open, the said sections being This stationary sectionhas its limited in their movement on their pivots in either direction bythe stops For forming the electrical connection I prefer to provide acontact D, preferably a platinum strip, for each section 0, which may besecured to a preferably U-shaped bracket d, suitably insulated from saiduprights by the Washers d, or otherwise, the said strips D having theirfree ends arranged in the path of oscillation or movement of thesections when the weight of the coin tilts the same on their pivots.These platinum points, or the brackets to which they are secured, may beelectrically connected in series, as shown in Fig. 2, and be connectedby the wires e to a binding-post of a bell E, the other bindingpostbeing connected by the wire e to the frame A to complete the circuit,though it is to be understood that the connections may be made in anyother suitable manner, and any other signal, whether audible or visual,may be employed instead of the bell E.

The electrical connections for each chute have not been shown in Fig. 1for the sake of clearness, for in each case it may be the same, as shownin Fig. 2, or the whole may be connected in series or otherwise. In Fig.1 the chutes are arranged for nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars,and dollars, respectively, the less denomination having five tilting oroscillating sections, so as to give five distinct signals or responses,while for the dollars only one section is provided, and consequently onesignal or response will be given..

The operation and manner of using the machine will be readily understoodfrom the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. It will .be seen should a nickel be placed in section 0, Fig.2, it will descend on to the first-section C, where it will overcome theweight of the counterbalance c and will tilt said section on its pivot,as shown in dotted lines in said figure, at which time an electricalconnection will be made between said section and its contact D, causingthe signal E, through the wires 6 e, to respond. The coin in themeantime passing to the next chute will permit ,the weight 0 to returnthe section to its normal position, whichwill break the circuit andlikewise cause a break in the signaling. The coin will now cause thesecond section to tilt, as indicated in dotted lines, with a secondrespond from the signal, which will continue by makes and breaks in thecircuit during the successive passage of the coin through the severalsections, the coin during its descent taking a zigzag course, andfinally being deposited in the lower portion of the box or casing inwhich the machine is usually placed, but which is not shown. This sameresult will be obtained should a proper coin be placed in any of theother chutes, except that there will be a less number of responses fromthe signal, the number of times that the signal responds designating thedenomination or value of the coin deposited into the machine. By

this construction the operator may readily ascertain the value of thecoin deposited, so that if a telephone is to be used the properconnection may be made at the central office.

It is obvious that I may change the construction of the machinesomewhat, and may vary the number of chutes and sections of each chuteat will, and that any suitable connection operated by the sections or bythe passage of the coin through the chute or chutes may be employedwithout altering the character of my invention.

, Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A coin-operated toll collecter and annunciator comprising a suitablesignal, a chute consisting of a series of sections, the first sectionbeing stationaryand each sue-- ceeding section pivotallysupported andinclined alternately at different angles, so as to form a zig-zag wayfor the passage of a coin, electrical contacts arranged in the path ofmovement of said pivoted sections, whereby the latter are adapted to'close the electric circuit when tilted by the weight of the coin; eachalternate pivoted section being located below and at one side of thepreceding section and adapted to cause a distinctive response from saidsignal during the passage of the coin or token from one section to thenext succeeding section, whereby the operator may readily ascertain thevalue of the deposited coin, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-operated toll collector and annunciator, the combination,with a suitable signal, of a chute comprising a series of sections, twoor more ofwhich are pivotally sup-.

tinctive responses according to the denomination or-value of the coindeposited in said chute, substantially as described.

3. In a coin-operated toll collector and annunciator, the combinationwith a suitable signal, of a series of independent chutes, each designedto form a conduit for a coin of a specific value, and provided with oneor more pivoted sections adapted to be tilted by the weight of the coin,normally open electrical connections adapted when closed to close anelectric circuit between said pivoted section and said signal; thepivoted section being adapted to be tilted on its pivot by the coin ortoken deposited in the chute and to make and break said electricalconnections so as to cause a distinctive response from said signal,whereby the operator may readily ascertain in which chute the coin-hasbeen deposited and thereby determine the value of said coin,substantially as described.

4. In a coin-operated toll collector and a11- nunciator, thecombination, with a suitable signal, of a series of chutes eachcomprising a series of sections, two or more of which are pivotallymounted and alternately arranged upon suitable supports, contactsarranged in the path of movement of said pivoted sec tions, electricalconnections between the contacts and the signal, means for automaticallyrestoring the pivoted sections to normal position out of engagement withthe contacts, each alternate pivoted section being located below and atone side of the next preceding section and adapted to make and break theelectric circuit through said electrical con- 20 nections during thepassage of a coin or token from one section to the next succeedingsection, whereby said signal may be caused to give distinctive responsesaccording to the denomination or value of the coin deposited in saidchute, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-operated'toll collector and annunciator, a chute comprisingtwo or more sections, one of which is stationary and the other pivotallysupported and adapted to be tilted on its pivot by the weight of a coinwhen deposited in said chute, and a weight carried by the pivotedsection for restoring the same to normal position after the passage ofthe coin, said weight being also adapted to serve as a stop for thecoin, substantially as described. t

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. ROGERS.

Witnesses.

CASPER E. YOST, EDWARD B. SMITH.

